Sunday 17th October, 2015

Recently at Rugby school we lost a great headmaster and a gained an unproven one. Understandably he made many changes in his first term. Things to help achieve his target which was to improve the academic prowess of its pupils and things to stake his claim over the new school. There was much annoyance  over many of these changes however most of this was merely just people finding excuses to dislike the new "imposter"! Yet there was one thing that seemed truly unnecessary and was extremely irritating. 

                Every year for as long as most people can remember there has been a push car race which consists of each house making a vehicle, selecting a driver, preferably someone light but experience is vital, a passenger, the smallest person in the house and finally a team of paired runners who have to run 400m each pushing the cart. It's always a great event and those members of the house who aren't directly involved all crowd together as supporters and the close is filled with the sound of house chants. 

        With the arrival of our new headmaster we noticed the absence of this event in our term calendars. Blatant unrest was displayed as pupils discussed their disappointment and annoyance and a year went  without a pushcart race. He protested that he hadn't banned it but no one really believed him. However he had clearly sensed the disappointment and this year the race was back on. As soon as we heard it was arrangements were made. A boy in my years father was a formula one car designer and so sneakily we chose him and a friend to make the cart! They made it on a leave out and with the close aid of ben's dad and the provision of materials, in particular aluminium frames which meant the cart was extremely light we felt confident that we were in good stead for the race. We had a boy in the year below who was previously a passenger but this year had his debut as a driver and one of the smallest f blockers (1st years) as our passenger. With a strong team of runners, including myself, we were sure we to have a good chance of winning! After some inspirational although comical speeches and enthusiastic chants and everyone running as hard as they could we were sure we must have won the race but our optimism was shattered as we discovered we had been pipped to the post by School House of all people. At least there is always next year... headmaster willing!

Sunday 25th October, 2015

The last time I hosted any sort of party must have been at least five years ago. It’s not that I am anti-social. I am perfectly happy to go to other people’s parties, in fact I love parties. But I just get stressed over the prospect of people coming over to my house. I worry over everything, people not having a good time, people behaving inappropriately, people breaking things. And by the time I have gotten over all this stress it just really doesn’t seem worth it.

Long before we reached my birthday my mum started trying to persuade me to have a party. My friends think I’m crazy, as they can never get their parents to let them have a party as much as they try and I am the opposite with mine. I reached a decision that I wasn’t going to do anything, yet again, despite this being my 18^th birthday.

 Just a day before my birthday I agreed on the spur of the moment to let some friends stay for what started off as maybe five people going out and just sleeping at our place but ended up as eight or so people coming round before heading to Bury St Edmunds for my first legal visit to a pub and nightclub, all then heading back to Gazeley and staying for a big cooked breakfast in the morning. However despite my reservations I had such a great time, everyone enjoyed themselves and I reckon you could even call it a party! It just shows that you can’t know you don’t like something until you try it. 

Sunday 11th October 2015

On Tuesday evening we had our first wine society meeting of the year. I am proud to have been elected one of four secretaries of the Rugby School Wine Society.  We were at the venue an hour early in order to help set up rows and rows of glasses, jugs of water and plates of wafer biscuits.  Then we were introduced to our guest speakers, James Naylor, the father of one of our secretaries and, Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler. James is director of Private Cellar, a successful wine merchant, and for whom Nicola is director of buying. These are big names within the wine industry and Nicola is one of only 340 Masters of Wine in the world.  I must admit my first impressions of them were not the best.  They made fun of the shape of the ‘goblet’ wine glasses we had painstakingly set out.  I suppose they were making the point that to fully appreciate fine wine you need the right glass, but it set the evening off with a slightly sour taste in the mouth!

After that though we had a great evening drinking six different French wines, my favourite being the Pouilly Fume, Domaine Thibault, Andre Dezat 2014 which had a fruity taste with a smooth smokiness over the top of it.  Surprisingly, and a good reminder that the things that cost the most aren’t necessarily the best, my least favourite was one of the more expensive wines, the Vosne Romanee Domaine Machard de Gramont 2008.  This struck me as unusually pale and translucent in colour and, compared to the others, tasted rather bland at the outset and slightly boorish when the flavour eventually hit you. Wine is such an interesting subject though.  Everyone can have their own views and your views can change.  Just like with people come to think of it.  Despite my initially impressions, when I was put out by their reaction to the glasses we had provided, both the speakers were very gracious and knowledgeable and we were privileged to have them come and talk to us.

Sunday 4th October, 2015

Racial conflict and stereo types have been the subject of the news for decades now. The recent case of Amed and the clock has now resurfaced, indicating that despite the uproar for racial targeting it was in fact not down to the boys skin colour or religion that he was apprehended but due to his obvious, suspicious behaviour which, turned out to be intentional. 

           This is a very controversial topic and one that I feel strongly against as even now racism is seen in day to day life with subtle racist jokes and references. I am strongly against racism and do whatever I can to stop it when the opportunity arises. However I do believe that too often people are wrongly blamed for racism particularly within the justice system. I believe that it is not that they are targeting races because of religion and skin colour but it is that they are attempting to make a situation as safe as possible and unfortunately, mistakes are made, granted more often than not the victim is not Caucasian but, in most cases I do not believe there is actual racist intent. 

 

Sunday 28th September, 2015

With the reinstatement of David Cameron and the Conservative Party we have been promised an open vote for an amendment of the hunting act. Of course there are hundreds of points for and against the act and most have been nigh on exhausted, however I agree with the common opinion that prejudice is the main fuel for the ban. Despite huntsman in red coats with a pack of healthy hounds tearing through the county side being to me a beautiful and heart warming site, I can see how to some people it is seen as both pompous and unempathetic. Yet hunting with dogs is not always raucous, loud and upper class. Should your average anti accompany a lone country man with his one dog on a walk. Watch as the two look together and spot a hare, give the hare fair law and watch the most natural pursuit of game there is to be found. If the anti was to see the mans joy as the dog and hare twist and spin across a field only for the hare to make safe it's escape he would, i believe, be left with a different opinion of hunting with dogs.